The election this guide was created for has now passed.
This page is kept online for archival purposes.
This page is kept online for archival purposes.
2021 NYC PRIMARY
VOTER GUIDE
This guide is part of Theater in Asylum’s efforts around The Debates 2021, a theatrical adaptation of the Democratic primary debates for the 2021 municipal elections in New York City. Our goal is to inspire audiences to engage in theater, debate, and democracy.
This guide was made with New York City Democrats in mind, and focuses on the primary election on June 22, 2021. We encourage all voters outside of NYC to check out Vote.org.
This is a living guide, last updated on May 4, 2021. Note that some of the city's websites (which we link to) are not yet updated for the June primary.
This guide was made with New York City Democrats in mind, and focuses on the primary election on June 22, 2021. We encourage all voters outside of NYC to check out Vote.org.
This is a living guide, last updated on May 4, 2021. Note that some of the city's websites (which we link to) are not yet updated for the June primary.
CUT TO THE CHASE
Vote on or before June 22. Mayor, city council, and more. If you only follow one link on this guide, make it this one. Here you'll find your district information, poll site location, and (soon) be able to preview your ballot. Note, however, that this does not check nor confirm your voter registration.
WHEN ARE WE VOTING?
- The primary election is on Tuesday, June 22, 2021
- Early Voting begins on Saturday, June 12, 2021
- Absentee ballots must be requested by Tuesday, June 15, 2021
- The general election is Tuesday, November 2, 2021
On primary and general election days polls are open from 6am-9pm. Early voting hours vary. See VoteEarlyNY for more information.
WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON?
This is a primary. So, for example, if you are a registered Democrat, you will be choosing who you want to be the Democratic nominee to appear on the November general election ballot. In New York City, the Democratic primary is much more competitive than the general election. In this election cycle, New York City voters will nominate candidates for:
Soon, you'll be able to preview your ballot at NYC Poll Site Locator.
- Mayor
- Public Advocate
- Comptroller
- Borough Presidents
- City Council (more than two-thirds of it!)
- District Attorneys in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Soon, you'll be able to preview your ballot at NYC Poll Site Locator.
WHERE ARE WE VOTING?
If you choose to vote in-person, you can find your election day and early poll sites here. Please be safe. Wear a mask and maintain social distancing. And thank the elections workers, they’re essential!
CAN I VOTE?
Please note that New York’s primaries are “closed,” meaning you must be registered with the party in whose primary you would like to participate. The deadline to change your party affiliation has unfortunately passed. The deadline to register to vote for the first time or to change your registration from another state to New York is Friday, May 28, 2021.
WHAT ABOUT ABSENTEE VOTING?
During the pandemic, all registered voters are eligible for vote-by-mail. Per the city's website: "All registered voters can request an absentee ballot be mailed to them. If you are affected by COVID-19 and/or the potential of contracting the virus, please check the box for "Temporary Illness" on the application. The definition has been temporarily expanded to include "a risk of contracting or spreading a disease" such as COVID-19."
Absentee ballots must be requested by Tuesday, June 15, 2021 and returned by June 22, 2021.
Absentee ballots must be requested by Tuesday, June 15, 2021 and returned by June 22, 2021.
RANKED CHOICE VOTING
Ranked choice voting, also known as "Instant Runoff" is here! Instead of choosing only your top choice in a race, you'll now be able to choose up to five candidates in order of preference.
When votes are tallied, everyone's first choice is counted first. If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, that candidate wins the race. If no candidate gets more than 50%, the last-ranking candidate is eliminated and those voters' second choices are added to the count. This process repeats until a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote. For a longer explanation of how ranked choice voting will work in NYC, check out this helpful guide from the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
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WHAT IF I NEED HELP?
1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) is a fabulous resource. Please call them if you have questions or run into problems at your polling place.
RESOURCES FOR THE MAYORAL RACE
The Candidates
This order is as they will appear on the Democratic primary ballot (source: Gothamist). More candidates are running for mayor. These are just the candidates who will appear on the ballot. Remember that you can rank up to five.
Jocelyn Taylor (taylorfor2021.com) will also appear on the ballot after a court case ruling, according to her twitter feed.
Articles
This order is as they will appear on the Democratic primary ballot (source: Gothamist). More candidates are running for mayor. These are just the candidates who will appear on the ballot. Remember that you can rank up to five.
- Aaron S. Foldenauer (aaronfornyc.com)
- Dianne Morales (dianne.nyc)
- Scott M. Stringer (stringerformayor.com)
- Raymond J. McGuire (rayformayor.com)
- Maya D. Wiley (mayawileyformayor.com)
- Paperboy Love Prince (paperboyprince.com)
- Art Chang (chang.nyc)
- Kathryn A. Garcia (kgfornyc.com)
- Eric L. Adams (ericadams2021.com)
- Isaac Wright Jr. (wrightfornyc2021.com)
- Shaun Donovan (shaunfornyc.com)
- Andrew Yang (yangforny.com)
Jocelyn Taylor (taylorfor2021.com) will also appear on the ballot after a court case ruling, according to her twitter feed.
Articles
- The City's "Meet Your Mayor: Find the Candidates Who Say They’ll Build the Future NYC You Want"
- Gothamist's "What does the Mayor do?"
- New York Magazine's Curbed: "Here's Everyone Who's Running for Mayor"
- Gothamist's "Here Are All The Candidates That Made The NYC Mayoral Ballot, In The Order They'll Appear"
RESOURCES FOR THE COMPTROLLER RACE
The Candidates
This order is alphabetical by last name, as the ballot order has not yet been publicized. These are the candidates running for the Democratic nomination according to The City. These are just the candidates who will appear on the ballot. Remember that you can rank up to five.
Articles
This order is alphabetical by last name, as the ballot order has not yet been publicized. These are the candidates running for the Democratic nomination according to The City. These are just the candidates who will appear on the ballot. Remember that you can rank up to five.
- Brian Benjamin (benjamin2021.com)
- Michelle Caruso-Cabrera (mccforny.com)
- Zachary Iscol (zachiscol.com)
- Corey Johnson (coreyfornyc.com)
- Brad Lander (landerfornyc.com)
- Terri Liftin (liftin2021.com)
- Chris McNickle (no campaign website found)
- Alex K. Pan (panfornyc.com)
- Reshma Patel (reshma2021.com)
- Kevin Parker (kevinparker2021.com)
- David Weprin (davidfornyc.com)
Articles
- Gothamist's "What is a Comptroller?"
- The City's "What to Know About the 2021 City Comptroller’s Race "
RESOURCES FOR CITY COUNCIL RACES
Articles
- Gothamist's "What does a City Council Member do?"
RESOURCES FOR BOROUGH PRESIDENT RACES
Articles
- Gothamist's "What does a Borough President do?"
- Gothamist's "Who's Running for Borough Prsesident" (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island)
RESOURCES FOR THE PUBLC ADVOCATE RACE
The Candidates
This order is alphabetical by last name, as the ballot order has not yet been publicized. These are the candidates running for the Democratic nomination according to The City. These are just the candidates who will appear on the ballot. Remember that you can rank up to five.
Articles
This order is alphabetical by last name, as the ballot order has not yet been publicized. These are the candidates running for the Democratic nomination according to The City. These are just the candidates who will appear on the ballot. Remember that you can rank up to five.
- Gwen Goodwin (gwengoodwin.com)
- Jumaane Williams (jumaanewilliams.com)
Articles
- Gothamist's "What does a Public Advocate do?"
- The City's "What You Need to Know About the Public Advocate Race"
MORE RESOURCES
Articles
- Find who currently represents you on NYC's "Who Represents Me"
- Gothamists: "Who are the judges on your primary ballot?"
- NY State Voter Rights on Attorney General Letitia James' site.
- Learn more about Ranked Choice Voting on NYC's RCV info page
- NY Attorney General Letitia James' page on Voting Rights
FOUND A MISTAKE?
This voter guide was compiled by artists, not elections experts, nor lawyers. We are just eager participants in debate and democracy, and hope you will be too. If you believe any of the information on this page is erroneous, or that we missed something crucial, please let us know at info@theaterinasylum.com.
A DISCLAIMER
We are not lawyers, election experts, nor representatives of any campaign. We are theater makers. All expenditures for The Debates 2021 are paid for by Theater in Asylum. No action, script line, voting guide, or event is authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. Theater in Asylum does not endorse any candidate in this race. We simply want more people, people like you, to engage and participate. No copyright infringement, defamation, libel, or slander is intended. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email us at info@theaterinasylum.com. Please don’t sue us!
Theater in Asylum (TIA) is a New York-based theater company founded in 2010 to challenge and empower our community. TIA joyfully pursues a rigorous research and an ensemble-driven approach to theater-making. We create performances to investigate our past, interpret our present, and imagine our future. We prize space to process, space to question—asylum—for ourselves and our community.
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